Group B of the 2014 World Cup finally kicks off on June 13 with Spain taking on The Netherlands at 20.00 GMT while Chile face Australia in Cuiaba at 23:00.
Spain go into the heavyweight clash as favourites and La Roja remain the top-ranked side in the World. Ahead of the game, Juan Mata insisted that Spain will continue with their massively successful Tiki-Taka style but the Manchester United man is also excited about the possibility of Brazil convert Diego Costa offering a new dimension. Costa is back from injury and expected to start. 
Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder are seen as the key players in what is a relatively inexperienced Oranje squad.
There has been talk of van Persie suffering from injury after colliding with a kitesurfer on the beach but the Manchester United striker said in a pre-match press conference that he has played through pain for much of his career. Doing so against Spain will not pose a new challenge for him.
One potential problem area for Spain coach Vicente del Bosque is the right-back slot. Cesar Azpilicueta and Juanfran have alternated in the position for the reigning world champions during their warm- up games. Juanfran could pose a threat to the Dutch by offering extra width should Louis van Gaal set up with a back three but Azpilicueta is seen as the more defensively solid option and better suited to stifling Van Persie, Sneijder and Robben.
Chile face Australia in the later game in Cuiaba. Australia’s first World Cup point was won against the Chileans in 1974. The South Americans have been tipped as a side to watch because of their attacking style of play and 2014 is seen as the best chance for the golden generation of Alexis Sanchez and Arturo Vidal to shine.
In contrast, Australia are perceived to be one of the weakest sides in the competition. Not finishing bottom of Group B will be seen as a surprising success for the Socceroos. This could create some pressure on Chile as they cannot afford to slip up in this first game, and Australia’s key players such as Mile Jedinak and Tim Cahill can enjoy playing without too much expectation. Promising young goalkeeper Mat Ryan could be a key player for the Antipodean outfit as it is expected he will he have a lot to do. 
Australia have a fully fit 23 man squad with Mark Bresciano recovering from a back injury. Before the game Cahill said that he expects Chile to exploit the Brazilian heat and maybe even employ a few dirty tricks to nullify his aerial ability. Cahill also feels Vidal’s journey back from recovery will benefit La Roja and he has warned his teammates that they cannot take the Juventus man lightly. Cahill expects Vidal to hit the ground running and thinks the news about the extent of Chile’s injury may well have been exaggerated.
